Tamara Mathieu

Yet another memoir by an ex-member of a religious cult, Tamara Mathieu's ALL WHO BELIEVED gives a detailed and winceworthy account of her years in the Twelve Tribes (aka TT). In 2000, a recent college graduate, newly married with a baby, Mathieu is disillusioned with the usual rat race routine of work, child care, housework and empty nights of boring tv, so she talks her husband into chucking it all and joining the closed religious community of the Twelve Tribes. Fourteen years and three more children later, the grinding drudgery, imposed poverty, oppressive rules and hidden hypocrisy of their life forces her to recognize the reality that this is a CULT that is crushing the life out of her, and her family flees back to the outside world. The real mystery here is why it took them so long. Brainwashing and fear were the tools that TT employed. Homeschooling discouraged reading almost everything. Children were systematically disciplined with spankings and canings from an early age, and questions and creativity were stifled. Women were to be absolutely submissive to not just their husbands, but to all men. Shaming, shunning and public confessions were common for any and all 'transgressions,' large or small. Close friendships between women or between children was discouraged. And yet the community elders and leaders enjoyed special privileges and freedoms.

This is a good book, honest and articulate, from a woman far too intelligent for such a life. I was reminded of another similar memoir I read not long ago, about another cult, one which was far worse in that it also included rampant sexual abuse by pedophile elders - Danielle Mestyanek Young's UNCULTURED. Mathieu apparently encountered nothing like this in her years in the TT, although the mandated subjugation of women was bad enough in itself.

Cults and tribes like these will always be around. In fact, most organized religions employ many of the same methods of brainwashing and fear described here. It brought back my own Catholic childhood with its memorized questions and answers of the Baltimore Catechism and the rituals of weekly confessions. Much to think about here. I'm happy for the author that she and her family escaped. Very highly recommended.

- Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, REED CITY BOY… (plus d'informations)